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Chun Kyung-ja's daughter loses final appeal over painting authenticity

Published: 09 Sep. 2025, 15:49 Updated: 09 Sep. 2025, 16:02

″Beautiful Woman″ allegedly painted by the late Chun Kyung-ja [JOONGANG ILBO]

The family of late Korean painter Chun Kyung-ja (1924-2015) has lost their final lawsuit against the government over a painting they have long believed to be a fake.

The Supreme Court rejected an appeal on Thursday without a hearing by Chun’s daughter, Kim Jeong-hee, a professor at Montgomery College, ending a long legal battle over the painting "Beautiful Woman," which the family says Chun never painted — even though state experts say it’s real.

The court has therefore upheld lower court rulings that rejected her 100 million won ($72,100) claim for damages.

A dismissal without a hearing means the court found no significant legal error in the rulings by the lower courts and declined to proceed with a full review.

Under Korean law, the state can be held liable for damages caused by government officials who, in the course of their duties, act with intent or negligence.

The controversy over “Beautiful Woman” began in 1991 when the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) disclosed the painting from its collection. Believed to have been painted in 1977, the artwork had previously been owned by former Korean Central Intelligence Agency Director Kim Jae-gyu. Following the assassination of former President Park Chung Hee in 1979, the painting was transferred to state ownership and stored at the MMCA in 1980.

It came to public attention when it was exhibited in a traveling exhibition in 1991. The painting is characterized by a sunken face with dark cheeks and a vacant expression.

Chun, however, firmly denied ever painting “Beautiful Woman,” famously saying, “What parent doesn't recognize their own child? I never painted that.” Despite her insistence, the museum maintained the painting’s authenticity, and most experts agreed with the museum’s conclusion. Chun subsequently announced she would no longer paint and moved to the United States.

The National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) Seoul branch in Jongno District, central Seoul is seen on May 28. [YONHAP]

After lying dormant for years, the controversy reignited following Chun’s death in 2015. Her family filed criminal complaints against MMCA officials and others, alleging defamation for asserting the painting was genuine.

In 2016, after more than eight months of investigation, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office concluded the painting was authentic. The prosecution cited scientific analyses — including X-ray, infrared, computer imaging and DNA analysis — alongside expert reviews, to support its conclusion that the work matched Chun’s known techniques.

Kim later published a book in 2017 titled “Chun Kyung-ja Code,” in which she argued the painting lacked recurring visual "codes" found in her mother’s authentic works, reiterating her claim that it was a forgery. In 2019, she filed the damages suit, alleging that the prosecution had manipulated experts and spread false information.

However, in July 2023, the Seoul Central District Court ruled against her, saying, “The available evidence does not support claims that prosecutors violated their duty of good faith or engaged in unlawful conduct.”

The Seoul High Court upheld the ruling in April this year, and the Supreme Court confirmed the decision last week. The court, however, did not make a direct determination on the painting’s authenticity in this civil case.

Separately, Kim filed an administrative lawsuit in May 2024 demanding the disclosure of appraisal reports submitted by expert evaluators during the prosecution’s investigation. In that case, the court sided with Kim, ruling that the prosecution must release the relevant investigation records. The decision was finalized last month.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]